University celebrates 70 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

It is exactly 70 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in December 1948, and to kick off a month of celebrations, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kate Gilmore has visited The University of Manchester.

A group of academics joined Kate, Tony Lloyd MP and Debbie Abrahams MP, to discuss their work on the On Cohesion publication, which examined questions of social cohesion, violent extremism, youth engagement and counter-terrorism in Manchester.

The publication was launched in June this year, and has been well received amongst policy makers and stakeholders across the country.

They also spoke about their reflections on the work undertaken in the city since the bombing of Manchester Arena in 2017.

A range of stakeholders were invited to the panel event to hear from the academics, and Kate Gilmore spoke about the importance of cohesion within communities and the local and global impact of a united response.

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Events like today highlight the work that is being undertaken to inform and educate on the critical importance of human rights in building cohesive communities and the role of cities like Manchester in taking that lead. The work the academics included in their recent publication informs the local and global conversation, and has a legacy outside of Manchester.

The event - organised by Policy@Manchester - formed part of a day-long programme for the Commissioner at The University of Manchester.

“It was a pleasure not only to be part of the event on Monday, but to join in the celebrations of the declaration of Human Rights,” said Debbie Abrahams MP. “The research highlighted really resonated with me, particularly in relation to the potential effects of inequalities. I work across all sections of my constituency to build social cohesion and trust within our communities, and wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that we need to value equality more than division.”

“I was delighted to be involved in this morning’s event” added Tony Lloyd MP. “It is vital that we do not take cohesion for granted - if people feel dispossessed or disengaged, there is sense of alienation and of feeling left out. The messages from Kate Gilmore and the academics today lend support to the work that is being undertaken within the City and our communities.”